Claire laughed at Caleb's somewhat obvious answer. Well, she had kind of asked for it, and, given the tease and the flirt that Caleb was, it shouldn't surprise her. Still, he followed it up with a serious answer, and Claire smiled. "So where was your favourite place to visit," she asked, wondering exactly where Caleb would have been sent. She knew that submarine deployments weren't exactly the most glamorous positions in any navy.

The smile grew more knowing as Caleb explained why he had left submarine service, and Claire understood completely the reason why he had come to the SGC. "And did it live up to your expectations," she asked. That was still a question that Claire herself was struggling to answer, not knowing whether or not it was what she expected or what she even wanted. On days like this, when the homesickness kicked in, she would have given anything to be back at home, in Auckland or Pukekohe, with those she cared about the most.

However, perhaps the tentative forging of a real friendship with Caleb could help alleviate that homesickness, give her something with which to anchor herself to the SGC and to her life in America. Only time would tell.

She laughed at the comment about Caleb's mum. "Yeah, I think my mum felt the same when I moved from Auckland to Wellington. She never really liked the idea of me working and living so far from home. I guess that at least made moving to America less of a wrench," she admitted. One far off place was much the same as another, really, no matter whether it was hundreds or thousands of miles away.

Claire nodded, smiling with understanding, as Caleb explained he hadn't really known what he wanted to do when he was growing up. "It's different for everyone," she said, shrugging lightly. "One of my sisters wanted nothing more than to be a mum, and she got that. The other one... well, she's only a couple of years younger than us, and she still doesn't really know what she wants." Āwhina might be married with two kids, but she wasn't happy, wasn't content. She still yearned for something, but never could decide what it was.

The smile softened, accompanied by a small shake of the head, as Caleb joked about the gossip. "I meant what I said," Claire replied, her voice soft and sincere. "I don't do gossip. Anything you say to me stays between us." It was a huge part of friendship, as far as she was concerned.

Claire made a mock disgusted face as Caleb joked about her being stuck with him forever. "Been there, done that, don't want a repeat of that, thank you very much," she said crisply, but not without a smile. "Being stuck with a good friend, though... I can do that." There were all too few of her oldest friends that she had stayed in touch with since moving to Wellington, and then America, so the possibility of developing a close friendship with someone was all too appealing. She just hoped that she and Caleb were on the same page.

She rolled her eyes and laughed as Caleb made what could almost be construed as a lewd joke, even with the qualification about taking over the world. "Taking over the world doesn't seem like much fun," she grinned, before turning her smile almost completely innocent and holding Caleb's gaze.

"I'm sure we can think of far more... interesting things we could do." A beat of silence, then the grin turned mischievous again. "Like... playing Monopoly or something?"

It was weird him getting asked questions about himself, despite the fact that he had sat down in front of her and had kind of offered himself up to help her forget her homesickness. It wasn't like people really wanted to know him at times, especially the women that he met, they didn't ask the questions that Claire currently was and although he wasn't use to it, it wasn't as uncomfortable as it had been at the start. He knew on some level this was how you made friends, asking them questions finding out about that person, he just realised he had never really had that for a very long time.

“Favourite place to visit,” he said, making a point of thinking it over. There had been so many places he had visited, different people he had spoke to and despite the fact most nights had been enjoyable, he had also different cultures. He didn't have a teasing smile on his face, just a sincere one as he replied, “England. All the places in the world aren't going to be able to beat seeing your home after a long time at sea.”

That was the truth, for all the exotic locations, the exotic women he'd met and the brief friendships that had appeared – that never lasted more than the time they were on land – it was always being back in the UK that he loved seeing the most. Being able to step off the Submarine back onto the UK soil, knowing that he was just a train journey away from his own family, it wasn't something he could put into words or even wanted to. He was enjoying speaking with Claire but he didn't want to show too much of himself in one go, besides if he started talking like that he was sure the mood would go back to that subdued way.

“What about you? Is there a favourite hospital you have worked in?” he asked, changing the attention back onto her.

He smiled once more as she asked if the SGC lived up to his expectations, that was something else he didn't know how to answer, he hadn't exactly been told what the job was when he took it so he didn't exactly have 'expectations'.

“Well let's see, my first week here I got sent to another planet, gained a new scar to my ever growing list of scars and talked to a Doctor who liked shiny point objects and stabbing them in my side,” he said, smiling at her as he recalled the conversation they'd had when he'd been brought in. “So yeah, it's everything I expected it to be! You? Is it as glamours as you had hoped for? Or are you secretly wanting more action?”

He listened again as Claire shared some of her family with him, he knew they were making head way to becoming friends – heck he hadn't flirted with her in the last two minutes which should be some kind of record for him – and it was interesting to hear how someone with siblings spoke about family. Caleb was an only child, had spent the majority of his time on his own when he was at home, had, had to find ways to entertain himself at times when his parents would work. Part of him when he was a child would loved to have had a sibling to play with, to share secrets with, but it just hadn't happened.

“Am only child,” he admitted quietly with a shrug, “Am sure it was interesting having siblings when you were all kids?”

The sincerity didn't seem to stop as Claire told him point blank anything he told her would stay between them. He just sort of stared at her for a moment not sure how to take that news, no one had ever offered anything like that to him before, well that and ever since Racheal he hadn't exactly trusted a woman to listen to what he said without going to spread it around. It was why he mostly set up the rumours and gossip himself, let the people make there own minds up, he wasn't about to waste his energy on setting them straight.

He was sure there was a faint blush on his face as he realised that he was actually embarassed that Claire had offered such a thing and he looked down into his half empty mug and rapidly cooling tea. “I don't...I mean...There is...” he was completely lost for words as to what to reply to her, before he just smiled and added, “Thanks.”

It was about all he could say because anything else he was sure would just sound weird and probably forced. There was a moment between them then, something that just seemed to make it a bit more cemented in his head that this woman sat in front of him didn't actually want to sleep with him and actually wanted a proper friendship. To him, that was probably the biggest thing that had happened in his personal life in a long time and he was honoured to have it.

“Don't want to be stuck with one person either,” he said in response to her saying about relationships, “But friendship definitely.” He was half tempted to stick out his hand again for her to shake it in a silly formal way of agreeing to being friends, but he resisted.

Caleb laughed when Claire mentioned that taking over the world would be boring, “Oh I don't know, could be interesting, no one would see it coming that's for sure,” he said, before breaking into full laughter when she suggested playing Monopoly. “Yeah am sure someone has that on base, of course I'll only play with you if you let me be the iron, deal?”

Claire felt a little bad, but only for a few seconds, as Caleb looked uncomfortable at her curious questions about his past. Maybe he wasn't used to it, perhaps he didn't share much about himself, but, at least to Claire, this kind of thing was a building block for a firm, secure friendship. Besides, she was interested in Caleb's family, interested in finding out what had shaped the man sat in front of her, a man who had depths he went to great pains to hide.

She gave him a small, almost sad smile as he admitted that his favourite place wasn't, in fact, somewhere exotic, but simply returning home. "I know how you feel," she replied, her voice quiet and contemplative. She would give anything right now to see the City of Sails unfolding beneath her as she came in to land. She didn't think she'd be able to get home for another couple of months at least, and, once more, she was fighting off the homesickness.

The pangs weren't as sharp, though, and Claire did her best to bury the melancholy. She was enjoying talking to Caleb, and didn't want the mood to take a dip again. She smiled, though, at the somewhat odd question about whether she had a favourite hospital she'd worked in. "Starship, in Auckland," she replied, her voice decisive. "It's where I did most of my training and worked as a junior. There's nothing quite like working with kids, to be honest, and I miss it." In fact, if it wasn't for Tama, she'd still be there.

Claire rolled her eyes. "That's an over-exaggeration if ever I heard one," she said, chuckling softly. "And if you didn't go getting shrapnel in yourself, you wouldn't have had to come under my care!" She was glad he had, though. It had given her a chance to start getting to know someone who was turning out to be a very interesting man.

She thought for a moment about what she had been expecting from the job. "I don't know what I was expecting, to be honest," she admitted. "I miss working with kids, but I'm certainly getting a few challenges here." As a surgeon, when teams were going offworld, her life was never dull, that was for sure.

Claire cocked her head as Caleb seemed almost wistful as he told her that he was an only child. She gave him a wry grin when he asked whether her childhood had been interesting, having two sisters. "I don't think 'interesting' is the best way to put it," she replied, giving a mock shudder. "Three girls, my sisters are twins and a couple of years younger than me, with the eldest practicing to be a doctor, even then. I'm surprised we didn't drive our parents nuts." It was all said in good humour, though, and Claire remembered her childhood fondly, for the most part.

Was that a blush from Caleb, as Claire promised him that whatever he said to her was being said in confidence? She thought it might be, and she smiled, finally placing her now-cool coffee cup down.

"You're welcome," she replied, returning Caleb's smile. "Just promise me you won't go spreading my deep, dark secrets around as well, you hear me?" Her voice was a light jest, but her request was more serious than it first appeared. Claire was an intensely private person, and it meant a lot to her that she felt able to share with Caleb like this. She had almost forgotten what it was like to have a close friend.

She smiled as Caleb agreed that the whole friendship thing was a good thing. Then, however, it didn't take long for the conversation to delve back into jokiness, and Claire laughed. "The iron is all yours, e hoa," she chuckled. "I always liked the dog, myself."

Caleb smiled at her one that showed he understood what she meant when they talked that just going back home was the best place in the world. For all that had happened when he had joined the Navy, all of his own heart ache - that he adamantly refused to really look into at any point of the day - England was still the best place to end up in. It was the one place that held so much of what made him who he was now and he although the weather was at times completely unforgiving it was the one place he did love.

But he didn't want the mood between them to drop back into the sadness that had surrounded them when he'd first arrived. "Of course if you ever visit England you'll have to bring your wellies along," he said, smiling at her, a sort of half invitation to visit with him hanging in the air. Not that he had ever taken anyone home to that extent before, but he figured if they became close enough friends it would be something that would probably come up. Eventually, maybe, or he was just reading far to far into the future and they wouldn't even get to be that close as friends, it was strange to not know where something was going to lead.

Caleb smiled as Claire told him where her favourite place to work was, "So you mean to tell me that you worked at somewhere called Starship and now you're working at the Stargate programme? That some heavy subliminal messaging going on there for you." he said, teasing her slightly. "Training, for me I wouldn't go back to that, training was rather, shall we say shouty for us recruits," Caleb added in, as much as he understood why all the trainers had been so hard on them, he wouldn't want to have to relive that any time soon.

"Oh, oh I see how it is, it's my fault that I got blown up on, okay yeah I can see your bedside manner has improved," he joked, laughing along with her. Despite the pain he'd been in, despite the nice floaty feeling he had gotten from the small dose of morphine she had given him, he was happy that it had been Claire that had been on shift that evening. Someone that had quite happily given his flirting back to him and hadn't taken any of his crap, it was someone that he had actually started to like as a friend.

Caleb understood that, the place wasn't what he had expected either, of course the work was harder, the decisions having to made lighting fast that it generally wasn't until a few days later that you even had chance to think them over. But that was what he liked, he liked that everything was that kind of quickness where it was all reaction instead of having to think it through and actually just work it instead.

"I have to admit I did kind of think there would be you know more," he gestured around the room, as though trying to think of something before saying, "fake windows. It's the only thing I'd ask for really."

It was a silly thing, really but despite having spent years working on a submarine and not having windows half the time, now he was on land - knew he was working on land - he kind of missed not being able to just look out a window. There had been the odd time or two when he had gone to the surface on his own time, and just stood outside for a few minutes, just purely to look at something that wasn't grey walls.

"All girls eh," he said, smiling cheekily at her, "This mean I get an invitation to the next family meet up?" He was sure there would be no way on this planet that Claire would be letting him near her sisters, his reputation might mostly be all gossip but there was definitely a sprinkling of truth behind the rumours. "Of course there doesn't need to be three of you to drive your parents mad, I was very capable of driving my mum mad all on my own."

That was the truth, his mum had often just given him something to fiddle with, which would just mean he'd take it apart and leave it in bits in the living room, his dad had laughed at that, but his mum had often despaired at the mess he had left behind. He was sure that through most of his childhood days his mum had spent most of her time following after him tidying up. Of course the older he had gotten, and when he had joined the Navy he had learnt to tidy up after himself, especially when it came to his work things.

He wasn't quite sure which way to look when she had said she wouldn't be spreading anything he said around, not that he had actually gone out of his way to tell her anything too personal about himself. He might have started opening up a little bit but there was still a very high wall that the majority of his personality was tucked behind, one that wasn't quite ready to crumble just yet.

"Promise, whatever you tell me won't go any further then us," he said honestly. He held a few secrets for other people and although he was known for being rather confident and not having many barriers when he spoke to people, he very rarely spread anyone's gossip. It wasn't his place, rumours were solely for people to talk about him, not for him to spread around.

He laughed as Claire said she wanted to be the dog from the monopoly set, there was so many replies he could say to that, but well he didn't, he didn't feel like he had to reply to her like that. "Of course you do realise that I am a master at monopoly right? Being stuck onboard a submarine for months on end, you begin to become a pro at board games." He was bragging, totally showing that he was bragging as well, the last time he had played any board game must have been in his training days and the game had been a very serious game of Guess Who, everyone had really found themselves invested in the damn game and three hours later no one had won.

Claire blinked. Did she just hear right? Was that a vague sort of invitation to visit England at some point? Nope, probably not, she decided, just a throwaway remark. Still, it was a nice throwaway remark, and she smiled back. "Until I moved to America, I'd barely left New Zealand," admitted Claire, blushing slightly. "For someone who comes from a nation of people known for being adventurous and wanting to travel, I was a real homebody. Still am, really." That was one reason she had rented her own apartment instead of living on base: she wanted somewhere to call "home", even if, emotionally and spiritually, it could never be her home.

Claire laughed as Caleb compared Starship to the Stargate program. "Reckon there's the same number of kids running around," she grinned. Half the military - Caleb incluided - acted like a bunch of children when they weren't actively on duty. It didn't help that Jack O'Neill was just as bad, and the younger military took their cues from him.

"See, I kind of liked my training," she admitted, smiling fondly. "I guess my university days weren't as wild as most, though. I wasn't out getting munted every night or anything. After uni, training seemed like fun, even though it was bloody hard work." It would be fair to have described Claire as a workaholic at that time, so focused had she been on being the best she could be. Well, that was until she had met Tama, but that was a whole other story.

She laughed as Caleb joked about it being his own fault that he was hit by shrapnel. "Well, I guess it's as good a way as any to meet women," she said, a light chuckle in her voice. "Even if you struck out that night." The flirting had been fun, if unexpected. Claire hadn't flirted with anyone since she had broken up with Tama, but Caleb's cheeky first remark had brought out the devil in her that night. It had been surprising and a revelation, and the flirting had been something that had continued between them. It was nothing serious, just a bit of fun, but it made Claire remember what it felt like to be desired, even if Caleb was only joking around with her.

Claire laughed as Caleb admitted one of his more unusual expectations of the SGC. "Fake windows," she laughed, shaking her head. "I'd rather have real windows. I do miss being about to look outside when I want to." That, and going outside for lunch, just wandering the streets of Auckland. That was something she would never stop missing, she guessed. "If you ever wanted to join me on days off, I usually go hiking, if you don't mind that sort of thing?" She usually went on her own, but it wouldn't be so bad to have someone with her on occasion.

She rolled her eyes as Caleb asked whether he'd get an invite to New Zealand. "They're both married with kids, e hoa," she chuckled, shaking her head. "I don't think their husbands would take too kindly to you!" She could imagine that Caleb could be an acquired taste. "And I bet you could drive anyone nuts, and not necessarily in a good way."

Claire's expression turned more serious as Caleb promised that their conversations would remain between the two of them. "I appreciate that," she said, her voice sincere. The military were known for their gossip, so for Caleb to promise that he wouldn't be gossiping about whatever they talked about... well, it meant a lot.

She arched an eyebrow up as Caleb declared himself a master of Monopoly, and of all board games. "Reckon you had to find something to do when on the sub," she grinned. "After all, bedsheets tend to get crusty after a while, don't they?" The grin turned wicked as she twitched her eyebrows upwards. "I bet I could kick your arse at Operation, though!"

"Well sometimes adventure can be found in your own home," he said smiling at her. It wasn't something he himself had come across all that often finding something as exciting as what he did in his own back garden. But then again Caleb wasn't a doctor, he was sure that had he gone that route he would stay close to home, but he couldn't imagine being at home waiting some kind of adventure to come calling.

He would before he had joined the SGC, often find himself getting itchy feet - as the saying goes - if he was stationed on land too long, it was something that a lot of his mates had gotten as well. If they weren't doing something, moving somewhere they would and did get bored, it had only happened twice to Caleb, and so far being at Cheyenne it hadn't happened at all. Which could have something to do with the fact he could walk through a giant metal ring and be somewhere completely different in a matter of seconds, there was no way he was going to be getting itchy feet being there.

Caleb smiled as Claire made the remark about the same amount of kids running about the place, honestly he knew that the majority of them could act like children, heck he had done exactly the same, still did do exactly the same. But there was just something about the aliens and space that just made the inner five year old in him want to come out and play. He wasn't able to deny that inner child some surface time, plus it also made for some interesting friendships to come about.

"Now really you can't tell me you aren't a little bit like a kid at Christmas around here," he said, teasing her lightly. He knew that her job would probably call for her to be more 'game faced' at times than his own line of work, but well everyone had to feel gleeful about the place at one point or another, surely?

He did laugh outright then as she joked about the first meeting they had, had together, "What makes you think I struck out?" he asked, "For all you know, this is just all part of a bigger plan, you'll fall under my charms soon enough Miss Te Atua," he joked, pointing a finger at her. Really the more time Caleb spent with Claire, just laughing, joking, teasing each other, the more the thought of trying to sleep with her fell away.

It had been a long time since he had just sat down - especially with a woman - and just talked to the person. Just shared silly things, had nice sincere moments and just....well he realised they were just becoming friends and the more that seemed to embed its self in him, the more he found he didn't want to sleep with her. He didn't want her to become one more of his number of women, he was beginning to like her as a friend and nothing more.

"Yep, fake windows," he repeated, nodding his head, "Of course I'd settle for the real things, but fake ones against all the grey, would really brighten the place up don't you think?" Not that he was any expert at all in interior design but well he was always able to make himself sound like he knew what he was on with, even when he didn't know.

"Am not much of a hiker to be honest," he admitted with a shrug, it was true, he wasn't much into the sports like that, sure he worked out - mainly cause sometimes that's all there was to do on base - but he didn't really go all out for it. "But any time you fancy a stroll around the base, not hiking, just walking, I'll be there," maybe they could end up chatting like they had done so far, maybe he would even share more of what was actually underneath the 'mask' he wore. Or maybe he'd just end up telling her about the latest conquest and she would just tell him to shut up, he didn't know which way it could go and that was interesting to him.

Sitting back in the chair, he couldn't help the sly sort of smile that crept across his face as Claire told him her sisters were married, "Well I didn't say the husbands couldn't join in," he said flippantly. Caleb was definitely straight for tense and purpose but well that didn't mean he hadn't helped out a friend here and there when they were trying to pick someone up. There had been once or twice where he had been someone wing man, plus it was also flattering to him that he appealed to the gay blokes as well. It was always nice to be appreciated.

Of course in the next breath, he was really glad he didn't have a mouthful of tea because he was pretty sure he would have choked on the whole lot. Really he was beginning to wonder just exactly what kind of reputation the Navy got around the other military personnel, especially for the doctor, a god damn doctor of all people to say something like that. He stared at her a moment, in complete shock that she had said such a thing, before he smiled at her, letting her know he wasn't that shocked. He was pretty damn sure that two could play at that game, so he just let the smile sit there on his face for a moment, not saying anything just smiling.

He finally sat forward slightly and said in the most upper class British voice he could muster, "I have no idea what kind of boats you think I've been serving on, but honestly Doctor nothing of the sort goes on like that." Before he broke into another smile, laughing.

"If you can beat me at Operation, bet I can beat you at Battleships," now it was fighting talk going on, Caleb wasn't to be out done on board games.

Claire concurred. "I never had any problems finding adventure," she admitted. "Kind of comes with the territory in New Zealand." Climbing, bungy jumping, BASE jumping, white water rafting... with all of those on her doorstep, why would she have needed to seek adventure anywhere else? And yet, here she was, and, if not for adventure... then why?

That much was easy. Despite it being four years since her split from Tama, she was still unbalanced, still felt as though she wanted to get away. The problem was, she couldn't get away from the one thing that hurt the most: the fact that she most likely would never be able to have children thanks to her ex. That was something that would follow her around for the rest of her life, and no matter how far she travelled, she wouldn't be able to leave it behind.

Claire regarded Caleb for a second or two, before shrugging lightly. "Not so much," she admitted. "One wound is pretty much like another, really. I'm just operating on a larger scale." There was the odd situation she was in where it wasn't just about patching someone up, something that allowed her to do some research work, but those were the punctuations in an otherwise flowing prose of routine work. No different from working at Starship, or at Wellington, when it came to it. At least there was less paperwork than Wellington, seeing as she was only Janet's deputy.

"The research opportunities are interesting, though," she admitted, a small smile on her lips. "Makes up for my lack of social life." Aside from the odd trip to O'Malley's with her co-workers, and her tae kown do training, Claire was really a bit of a homebody.

Arching up laconic eyebrows at Caleb, Claire laughed. "You'll have long since found easier pickings," she grinned. "I don't think you've got it in you to formulate a long game plan." He struck her as someone who liked to make a fast impression and an equally fast exit. That wasn't what she was interested in, and, if he had tried it on with her properly, it would have gotten him nowhere fast. It still would. As a friend, though, she had the feeling they would mesh particularly well.

Claire frowned a little. "See, I don't get the fake windows thing," she said, her voice laced with honesty. "I'd much rather have the real thing, be able to look outside at something beautiful." From her office at Starship, she had had a view over the Auckland Domain, its lush greenness reviving her spirits whenever she looked outside. On her lunch breaks, she had enjoyed walking around the Domain, exploring its many trails, either with or without Tama or other friends.

Claire wrinkled her nose. "A walk around the base doesn't really appeal, to be honest," she admitted. "But I'm sure I can find somewhere flat and boring if you fancied a walk outside!" Her voice held a light tease, but the invitation was sincere. It would be good to get to know him outside the confines of work, and somewhere that wasn't a bar. He was an interesting, funny bloke, and she felt she owed it to their burgeoning friendship to make sure that they both felt free to talk about whatever they wished, without fear that anyone else might interrupt.

She rolled her eyes again, before giving Caleb a wry laugh. "You say that to either of those blokes, they'd kick your arse five ways from Sunday," she chuckled. "Besides, while you might like Hariata, Āwhina's a bit more... volatile." Well, that was one way to put it, anyway.

Claire grinned as a momentary shock passed over Caleb's face before he masked it, pretty well, in her opinion. Obviously, he hadn't expected her to come out with a remark like that. "Don't bullshit me," she laughed, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "My dad was in the navy, and they probably got up to far worse than you lot do now!" In fact, she hated to think of what the smell must be like on a submarine. It didn't bear thinking about.

And then Caleb issued a challenge to play him at Battleships. "You're on," she grinned. "Always dad's favourite. But... are you talking the proper paper version, or the wussy boardgame version?"

Caleb couldn't help the small trickle of envy that crept up his back when Claire spoke of being able to find adventure, there hadn't been much in the way of adventure when he was kid, in fact he was pretty sure that his own 'adventures' as it were hadn't started till he'd joined up and then when he'd come to the SGC. Sure there had been things in his past that had seemed almost 'adventurous' at the time, but he could imagine it was nothing compared to what Claire had done.

With a shake of his head he said, “Adventure, this is probably the biggest adventure any one of us are doing to be honest.” It wasn't his place to put forward what she had made him feel, it was silly, there were people from all over the world here so sure some of them would have had more 'adventures' before joining the SGC and some would have lead a normal boring life like himself. Well it hadn't been boring, there had been plenty of nice, pleasant moments, but he couldn't help adding in, “You don't really get adventure in London am afraid.”

It was true he had so many school friends that had just gone down the wrong route, had taken the wrong choice here or there or in at least three cases they were now married with kids. Not something he ever planned to be doing in the future, ever.

He smiled at her, “Well when you put it like that, one wound being the same as all the others, must be pretty boring. I mean looking at all the half naked people, poking them with pointy objects, yup has to be boring.” He was teasing, he knew that even though she said one wound wasn't really that much different from another, it was the people that they got to meet more than the job itself. Honestly he himself had talked to so many different people through his own job that at one point – after pulling two 12 hour shifts near enough back to back – all the ranks had kind of blurred in together and he was sure he had saluted someone that was a civilian.

But Caleb knew that was what life was on this base, it was so much more than anything he could have imagined, and sure he was pretty much acting as basically a mechanic again (a fairly high qualified mechanic) but he wasn't going to change it for the world.

“Oh am pretty sure you've got a better social life than me,” he answered, smiling at her. Nine times out of his ten his own social life basically amounted to him picking someone up for the night, having a really enjoyable time and then going home – or what passed for home at lease – so although he could brag about his social life, he really didn't want to all that much.

He grinned at her, “Well now that you mention it, the other night there was a rather lovely red head that was well shall we say rather flexible. Am sure there are some bruises around that you might need to check out later on,” he was joking, well about Claire looking at the bruises at any rate. The red head part was true, it had been his own early Christmas present to himself after he had spotted his Ex shopping, not that he was going to tell Claire that. But despite his relationship having split amicably, there had still been something seeing her that had made him want to crawl into the nearest woman and completely forget, which is exactly what he had done.

It was strange that despite the fact Claire said that a walk around the base didn't appeal to her, and he really didn't do the whole running thing, they were both quite different in that respect, he still found himself wanting to actually spend time with her. On a strictly friendship level, nothing more and he appreciated the fact that the offer was sincere even if they'd both have to wrangle a compromise.

“Ah am sure I could take them,” he joked back, there were a few skills that he had tucked up his sleeve that he could use. He might be as laid back and easy going as they come but there was things hiding beneath all of that.

Caleb held up his hands in mock surrender as she blurted that out, he honestly had not been expecting such a thing to come from Claire, and people though he was a bit of dark horse when it came to what people saw of him. “Well I don't know, am sure we've just come up with more creative ways to...amuse ourselves.” he joked back, he honestly hadn't expected such a reply to come from Claire at all, she had looked all innocent and then had completely taken him by surprise.

“How about whoever wins out of four games, two of the wussy board game and two of the original,” he said, smiling at her a challenge firmly in his voice. “You realise that I am Navy, this is kind of our game right?” He just didn't happen to mention that it was a game that got played by them when they were completely bored with nothing to do. He leant on the desk in front of him, smile playing about his face, “Of course what does the winner get?”

Claire smiled, nodding, as Caleb said that the SGC was probably the biggest adventure ever. "For a lot of you, yup," she agreed. "I've been off world a couple of times, both times to the Alpha Site, and that's it. Otherwise, it's just the same old day job for me." That wasn't to say that she didn't enjoy it - she loved being a surgeon - but there was something missing. She just couldn't put her finger on what it was. She grinned as Caleb said that there wasn't much in the way of adventure in London. "You didn't go further afield to look for it," she teased. "That surprises me."

She chuckled as Caleb teased her about dealing with half naked people every day. "Not many of them are particularly easy on the eye, and, generally, you're concentrating more on how to repair the holes than whether or not you'd go there," she grinned. "Besides, that sort of thing would just get in the way. Wouldn't want to be drooling all over the place, would I?"

Claire arched an eyebrow upwards as Caleb said she probably had a better social life than he did. "So... the odd drink at O'Malley's trumps your social life," she teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "I'd heard that you had a far more varied and interesting social life than that..." She couldn't resist the tease about the rumours that were going around the base, but there was no barb, no malice in her voice.

Then Caleb brought the rumours up anyway, and Claire rolled her eyes, laughing as he alluded to one of his "encounters". "I think, if you're getting bruises, e hoa, you're either with the wrong woman, or you're into some strange shit," she giggled. "And any bruises you have are going to have to take care of themselves." She reached into her drawer and tossed a small tube of arnica cream across the table. "Apply it twice a day, they'll clear right up."

Claire hoped that Caleb would still agree to spend time with her, even though it was obvious that they had different interests. "How about a sparring session," she asked, wondering whether he was into martial arts. "Ever done tae kwon do?" She was 3rd Dan, so could coach him if he wanted.

She snorted as Caleb professed her could take on her brothers in law. "I'd love to see you try," she laughed. "Hariata's husband used to play rugby professionally - he was a prop - and is twice your bloody size!" Gentle as a lamb, he was just a big teddy bear, as with most rugby players, but his size could be intimidating, and watching him out on the paddock... well, he was just plain terrifying.

"What? You just take along a supply of baby wipes instead?" Claire's expression was deadpan for a few seconds before her face split in the most mischievous of grins. She loved that she had been able to shock him, and made a mental note to keep plenty of things up her sleeve to elicit the same expression in the future. It was priceless.

"You're on," said Claire, as Caleb suggested two games of each kind of Battleships. "I would assume you've got the wussy board game version, then?" She thought for a few moments after Caleb asked what the winner would get. "Ummm... the loser buys drinks at O'Malley's, maybe? Unless there's something better you can think of?"

"Not been to the Alpha site just yet," he replied, he had heard enough of the others talking about it. That it was just like the mountain except, more green and in the outdoors, which kind of did sound interesting to him, but well he hadn't been asked to go yet. His first trip across world - literally - had been to a place that he couldn't even remember the name of now, and had landed him on his arse back at Cheyenne quicker than he could say Submarine.

"Oh I went looking, how'd you think I joined the Navy?" he said, smiling brightly. He could still remember that holiday, the one that had the old Navel boat as a museum and out of boredom he had gone to take a look around. It was at a time that he had been dropping into a bit of downward spiral, he had began to hate working on cars with his dad and as much as he loved his family, it had begun to effect that relationship as well. He had, had more arguments with his dad than anything else, until he had found the Navy, asked around and the next thing he knew he was at one of there bases for 10 weeks doing basic training.

Of course that lead him to the biggest adventure ever, him sat right there in the chair talking to Claire, actually making a friend instead of taking any pleasure....well he was taking pleasure but not that kind at any rate.

He smiled, "Yeah I supposed having your doctor check you out in more ways than one whilst you're bleeding all over her, not the best thing for you to get distracted by." Unless said person was him and despite the fact that most of his top had been coated in blood at the time and he was sure he had washed his hands about sixteen times before it had scrubbed off his hands, he had still tried to 'chat her up' so to speak. Of course that had gotten him nowhere, something he was actually beginning to think he was grateful for, because otherwise he didn't think he would be sat there now enjoying her company as it were.

Caleb laughed out right at that, "There not much 'social' talking going on in them encounters," he said, smiling at her. He was sure that her 'social' life was much more talkative than his, well his could get loud but they were mostly filled with one syllable words and sometimes not even that.

He was well into laughing again, as she told him he was clearly into strange shit if he was getting bruises, but that didn't stop him from catching the small tub she threw at him. He might not seem like it at times, but his reflexes just as sharp as some of the other blokes on base and he could catch pretty damn good, he turned the tub over in his hand, before laughing once more. "Okay me and my arse thank you....aww damn was that too much information?" There was no remorse in his voice at that comment what so ever, even as his eyes sparkled with completely mischief, honestly that look had gotten him into trouble sometimes.

In the end he had to take a moment to actually catch his breath after all the laughing, it felt good to laugh with someone, it had been a while since he had, had that, last time had been the leaving party his crew mates had thrown him right before he left. Most of that party had been spent drinking, laughing and....well no that was about all he could remember of it really.

Once he had regained his breath, and he didn't feel like his side was going to fall off from the amount of laughing he had done, he registered what Claire had said about the training. Honestly he had never done anything remotely martial arts type of thing, and he wasn't sure why people would associate such a thing when they looked at him. "Nope, although am sure I'd end up on my arse more times than any kind of sparring would take place."

He was more of a look in the gym and see what kind of took his interest that day when he worked out, of course also a lot of his work outs tended to steer more towards the cardio side of things. Sure there had been the weights but, well it had never held his interest for that long and all he ever ended up with was sore muscles at the end of it. At least the cardio side of things actually wore him out, actually made him feel like he had done something.

"Although sure, sparring session, could be fun," he added as an after thought. If all else failed he was sure he was going to end on his back and they'd be laughing as much as they had done that afternoon.

"Just because someone is twice my size, doesn't mean I couldn't take them down," he said cockily, although when Claire mentioned the rugby as well, well he wasn't so smug about that then. Honestly he might have ways and means of putting someone on the floor, but he didn't hardly use them and he certainly wasn't going to be using them on a rugby player any time soon.

Of course there wasn't much more he could say when he was laughing once more, he had no idea how the conversation got this dirty, this quickly, and although it was totally something that would be discussed in such light-hearted terms with another bloke, it wasn't something he expected from Claire, or from a woman even.

He managed to hold a mock shocked face for a moment whilst he said, "A supply of baby wipes, honestly Doctor am beginning to think you have psychic abilities, you can read my mind so well." Right up until Claire fell apart laughing and he followed suit, it was easy to joke about this with Claire, despite not having known her that long, it was comfortable to joke about it. It didn't feel like it was something he could mention once and then never spoke of again, he wasn't hedging any bets he was just being him and well he had to admit it was the first time in a very long time he had felt like himself, being this comfortable.

"I can always think of something better, but, drinks will do, how about whoever loses has to buy three rounds, make it interesting right?" he asked, mainly because he knew for a fact there betting wasn't something where they could just change jobs for the day. Because he was pretty sure people would end up dead on his watch then.